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The Fight-or-Flight Response

This is an evolved survival mechanism: a series of reflexes and responses that happen automatically in order to protect us.

It energizes us to take action: either slowly, if the threat is in the future (eg. a lion roaming far in the distance will cause enough anxiety to keep away from it) or in an instant if the threat is imminent. (A lion running towards us will cause immediate panic and action: fleeing).

This energy boost helps us to deal dangerous situations or avoid them: to stand and fight or to run away. And it is responsible for all the physical symptoms of anxiety and panic that we feel.


Fight-or-flight and physical symptoms:-

Our breathing becomes more rapid to get more oxygen for these muscles into the blood.

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Our heartbeat speeds up to get the blood to the muscles more quickly.
Blood is diverted from the brain (making us light-headed and dizzy) and the stomach (causing 'butterflies').
Energy cannot be wasted processing any half-digested food in our system so we need to get rid of it quickly: either through the mouth (feelings of nausea) or the other end (wanting to go to the toilet).
Other 'energy-wasting ' systems (unnecessary in time of danger) are shut down eg. saliva production, giving us a dry mouth and difficulty swallowing.
We sweat more to cool down all this energy production.
The energy boost to the muscles makes them 'jumpy'/ 'jittery'/ 'jelly-like'/ on-edge ready for action.

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